


You Are My Sunshine

by WritingToKeepMySanity



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Angst, Caretaker Jack, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-19
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2019-02-01 02:20:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12695097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingToKeepMySanity/pseuds/WritingToKeepMySanity
Summary: Jack always found the song "You Are My Sunshine" to be a comfort.Right up to his death.





	You Are My Sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> If you couldn't tell from the tin, this is ANGST. Mostly because tuppenny has been breaking my heart lately, so it's my turn. Turnabout's fair play, hon. ;)

Jack was six when he broke his arm. 

There was a great big tree in the backyard that seemed to stretch all the way to the sky.

It was  _amazing_.

His mama told him not to climb it. "It's too big, darling," she warned. "I don't want you to get hurt."

But Jack was nothing if not persistent, even at six.

Standing at the base of the tree, Jack craned his neck, looking up, up, up. 

He was gonna climb the tree. 

Jack was doing pretty well when he looked down and realized he was  _high_ , higher than he'd ever been. His foot slipped, and he scrabbled for purchase. But he just couldn't hold on, and he fell down, down, down.

The air rushed out of his lungs as he hit the ground with a solid  _thud!_

Jack blinked, dazed, staring up through the leaves. He took a mental assessment of himself. His legs seemed fine, skinned up from the bark. His back hurt, a little, probably from hitting the ground so hard. Left arm, skinned up to match his knees, but his right arm...

It was bent at a funny angle, not like his arm was supposed to look. It looked like it should hurt, but Jack only felt numb. 

Rolling onto his left side, he picked himself up slowly. Blood trickled down his shins, and he held his right arm carefully. Then, taking tiny steps, Jack crossed the backyard, opened the back door to the house and entered the kitchen.

His mama was there, cutting up vegetables at the counter. "Jack, wash up for dinner, okay?"

"Mama?" Jack's lower lip started to tremble. 

She turned to him. "What, darling—?" Her eyes widened when she saw him. "Jack! What happened?"

His arm was starting to throb, now, and he rubbed his eye with his left hand as the tears spilled over. "I climbed the tree, Mama. You said not to, but I did, I'm sorry, Mama—"

"No, no, shh," Mama soothed, kneeling in front of him, holding his face in her hands. "It's fine, Jack, shh. We'll get your arm fixed up real soon, okay?"

He nodded, and wrapped his left arm around her neck as Mama lifted him in her arms, moving through the house, picking up her purse and keys on the way out to the car.

Jack buried his face in his Mama's neck, still crying. "I'm sorry, Mama. I'm sorry. I'm—"

"Shh..." Mama stroked back his hair. She held him tighter a moment and sang softly in his ear. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine... You make me happy when skies are gray... You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away..."

Letting out a shuddering breath, Jack’s tears slowed to a sniffle as his Mama's words washed over him, soothing him.

 

*~*~*~*~* 

 

Jack was ten when he met Charlie, the boy with the bad foot.

He'd only been at the group home for a couple of months, and he didn't really have any friends. So, while Elmer and Racetrack chased each other around the yard, Jack sat on the porch, drawing.

There was a commotion at the far side of the yard that caused Jack to look up from his notebook. He saw the Delancey brothers—Oscar and Morris—pushing around the new kid, whose name Jack didn't know.

Somehow, the new boy had lost his left shoe and sock. His foot was turned inwards, and Morris was holding a crutch that was definitely not his. Jack had to give the kid some credit, he was still trying to stand on his own, and get the crutch back, but Oscar pushed him down. The boy fell back and, even from the porch, Jack could tell he was holding back tears.

Before he realized it, he had dropped his notebook and pencil, and Jack was racing across the yard to the Delancey's.

He shoved Oscar out of the way. "Beat it, Delancey. Pick on someone your own size."

The bigger boy sneered at him. "Like you, Kelly?"

Squaring his shoulders, Jack lifted his chin and looked Oscar in the eye. He was half the size of the younger Delancey brother, but he didn't like bullies. 

"Oscar, Morris!" Snyder yelled from the house. "I need your help in here!"

The Delancey brothers turned, but before they left, Morris dropped the crutch and muttered, "You got lucky, Kelly." 

He waited until the brothers had left before Jack turned to the boy on the ground. "Oscar and Morris are real jerks," he said, helping the smaller boy up. 

The kid smiled, even with tears in his eyes. "Thanks," he sniffed. He tried to set his left foot on the ground, but it couldn't hold his weight, and he listed into Jack with a yelp. 

"Whoa! Hold on, I got you." Jack wrapped an arm around his shoulders, twisting to pick up the crutch that was lying on the ground. "C'mon, your foot's bleeding."

Slowly, they hobbled into the house, making their way to the downstairs bathroom. Helping the younger boy up on the counter, Jack turned on the water in the sink. It was quiet for a moment, save for the running water, then

"I'm Charlie."

"'M Jack," he replied. "Here, put ya foot in, Charlie."

Together, they washed the dirt and blood off the foot, before Jack got under the sink and found a band-aid to put over the scrape on the bottom of Charlie's foot. He didn't realize he was humming his mama's song as he did. Carefully, they dried off his foot, and Jack put the band-aid on. 

"Thanks, Jack." Charlie twisted the end of his crutch in his hand. 

Shrugging, Jack answered, "You're welcome." He leaned back against the wall opposite of Charlie.

Fussing with a cloth bandage, Charlie frowned and slowly looked up at Jack.  "Jack? Can you help me with this? I gotta keep it on my foot, and..." he seemed embarrassed. "I don't know how to put it on."

"'Course." Jack took the bandage from him. He wrapped the cloth around the boy's foot, humming to himself again. When he finished, he looked up to see Charlie watching him. "What?"

"What's that song ya were singing?"

Jack draped the towel over the edge of the tub, shrugging. "It was a song my mama used to sing me when I was hurt. I've been thinkin' 'bout her a lot lately."

"Did your mama die, too?" Charlie asked quietly.

Looking up, Jack considered the smaller boy. He hadn't thought about why Charlie was in the group home. Oscar and Morris were Snyder's nephews, Racetrack never knew his mama, his dad was in jail, and Elmer had no parents, like Jack. Maybe Charlie was like him, too.

"Yeah," Jack sniffed. "She got real sick a couple’a months ago. Then she died, so I came here."

He didn't want to think about his mama. It still made him sad. 

"Ya miss her?"

Jack nodded, trying not to cry. He was  _ten_ now. Ten-year-olds don't cry. 

"Hey, Jack?"

"Yeah, Charlie?"

Charlie shifted on the counter. "My foot still hurts. Couldya sing me your mama's song again?"

Swiping under his eyes, Jack nodded, and hopped up on the counter next to Charlie.

"You make me happy, when skies are gray..."

 

*~*~*~*~*

 

Jack was fourteen when he was put in charge of the younger kids at the group home.

It started with Dave’s little brother, Les. He woke up with nightmares one night, and stumbled to the wrong bed, waking Jack.

"What?" Jack startled awake, blinking in the dim light, propping himself up on his elbows. "Les? Kid, whatsa matter?"

Les burst into tears then, and threw his arms around Jack's neck, holding on for dear life. If Jack wasn't awake before, he sure was now.

"Hey, kid," Jack sat up slowly, pulling Les with him. The younger boy curled into him, still sobbing, unable to string together a coherent sentence. Jack didn't know what to do. Les and Davey were still fairly new, and, while Les seemed to look up to him, Jack didn't know how to comfort the boy. 

"Jack?" Crutchie drawled sleepily.

Shaking his head, Jack slid his legs out of bed, holding Les on his hip. "Go back to sleep. It's Les. I'm gonna go find Dave."

Crutchie made a noise of agreement before rolling over and going back to sleep.

Jack tried to keep his balance as he made his way through the dark room, Les clinging to him. "Okay, kid, loosen up just a bit, okay? I can't breathe."

Les hiccuped, still crying, "Couldn't—find—Davey."

"I know, I know, kid. We're gonna find Davey now." He had to calm Les down somehow. If they woke Snyder up, they'd both have hell to pay. What had worked when he was Les' age?

It felt a little silly, but it had worked with Crutchie when the Delancey's messed up his foot. It worked for him when he broke his arm. Rubbing Les' back, Jack sang softly, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine... You make me happy, when skies are gray. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you... Please, don't take my sunshine away." 

Dave, Specs, and Racetrack were in the room next to Crutchie, Jack, and Elmer. Pushing open the door to their room, Jack kept humming. The song seemed to be working; Les wasn't sobbing as loudly anymore. 

Race and Specs were in one bed, Dave in the other, curled in on himself. Jack stepped carefully through the room to the single bed. Shaking Dave's shoulder, Jack whispered, "Dave. Hey, Davey. Wake up."

Jolting awake, Dave made Jack jump, causing Les to squeak at the sudden movement. "Wha's goin' on?"

"Dave, calm down. It's Jack. Les must've gotten turned around, wound up in my room." Carefully, Jack transferred the small boy to Dave. "Nightmare," he explained at Dave's confused look. 

Taking his brother, Dave nodded, seeming much more awake now. "Yeah, thanks, Jack."

"Don't mention it, Davey." Jack turned and went back to bed. He thought that was it.

Then, two nights later, JoJo came to him with a nightmare. A couple of days after that, Buttons twisted his ankle and refused anyone but Jack near him. After another week, Jack was the unofficial kid-whisperer. He could calm any nightmare, soothe any hysterical child, with just a song. 

It was a little strange, not at all what he'd thought he'd be, but not... terrible. Jack liked feeling needed. And if that meant singing some song his mother used to sing to the younger kids, he was okay with that.

   

*~*~*~*~* 

 

Jack was eighteen when his girlfriend's sister died.

He liked Lucy—she was the only Plumber who didn't look down her nose at him. She'd always been interested in his art, while Ralph and Joe Jr. thought he was wasting his time. Joe Sr. and Kate weren't crazy about their daughter dating an orphan who had been living in a car when Katherine met him (which, to be fair, was not Jack's proudest moment. But he and Dave had just been kicked out of the group home and were in a bind).

But Lucy? She was alright. Far and away his second favorite Plumber. 

Then, one day, she was just... gone.

When Katherine told him, she was stoic, emotionless even. Her voice and her eyes were flat as she said "Lucy's dead. Her funeral's in a week. Will you come?"

Of course, he'd agreed. That was what boyfriends did, right? Attend the funeral of their girlfriend's sister?

The funeral was a somber affair. Jack sat stiffly in the pew next to Katherine, in an old, hand-me-down suit Dave had helped him find. Katherine sat equally stiffly in a solemn black dress that didn't look right on her. She lit up a room when she walked in, with her bright pinks and purples and blues. Jack didn't like the way the black washed her out, dimmed the light she carried with her.

He didn't really listen to the minister, as he talked on and on about "better places" and "unfortunate timing". Instead, Jack watched Katherine. They'd been together for about nine months, and Jack was in new territory. He didn't know Katherine's hurt tells, or how to comfort her, or if she even  _wanted_ him to. All week, she'd acted... well, _normal_ wasn't quite right, but she hadn't cried, not in front of him, anyways. It was like she was stiff, keeping a brave face in front of everyone.

And Jack wasn't sure how to tell her she didn't have to in front of him. 

"And, now, to say a few words about Lucille, her sister, Katherine."

Katherine stared blankly ahead, like she hadn't heard a word. He touched her hand. "Katherine?"

Slowly, the mask she'd worn for the past week started crumbling, a slight furrow in her brow, a quiver in her lip. Katherine stood abruptly, but, instead of approaching the podium, she took off towards the back of the church. Jack jumped up to follow her, ignoring the stares and whispers of the congregation. He caught up to Katherine, who was just outside, in the foyer, hugging herself as she cried, like she could hold herself together.

"Kath..." He didn't think about where they were, of how they were still pretty new, or how he had no experience with this boyfriend thing. All he could think about was how he cared about Katherine, and she was hurting, and he just wanted to help her somehow. Carefully, so he didn't startle her, Jack stepped closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. 

She surprised him by throwing her arms around him. "How'd you do it, Jack? When your mom died?" she cried in his shoulder. "How do you make this...  _pain_ go away?"

Jack pulled back slightly to look at her. Her makeup was smudged under her eyes, and he used his thumb to wipe it away. Pushing her hair back behind her ear, he answered honestly. "The pain never goes away, Ace."

Scoffing, she turned away from him, but he held fast, turning her face to look at him again. "It doesn't go away. I still miss my mom every day. But it gets better. It hurts a little less, and a little less, until it's not so raw anymore. Until you can learn to live with it. An' I know it doesn't feel like it's something you can live with now, but you will, someday. You're... the strongest person I know. You'll get there. And..." Jack paused, hoping what he was about to say wasn't over the line. "And, until you do, I'll be there, doin' what I can to make it all hurt less. If—If ya want."

Katherine studied him closely, her eyes red-rimmed and still filled with tears. He started to speak again, take back everything he'd just said, or make a joke, or tell her he'd leave now, something, anything. But then, she pulled him close again, settling her chin carefully on his shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered, as tears slipped down her cheeks. 

Jack breathed a sigh of relief. He was new at the boyfriend schtick, but maybe he was doing something right. So he held her until the end of the funeral, until she was cried out, humming into her hair.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine..."

 

*~*~*~*~* 

 

Jack was twenty-two when he married the love of his life.

It was a simple affair, the boys Jack grew up with, and Katherine's family, in attendance. Specs had gotten himself ordained online, specially for the occasion, and managed to remain respectable throughout the service, right up to "you may now kiss the bride", when he let out a whoop along with the other boys as Jack dipped Katherine. 

After the reception, the newly married couple piled into Race's car, laughing as they fought with the layers of Katherine's skirt, high on adrenaline and giddy from champagne. They waved to their friends and family as the car pulled away from the curb, starting its journey to the airport.

”You don’t care that I kept my last name, do you?” Katherine asked, looking up at him. 

"Ace, I don't care what you call yourself, as long as I get to call you my wife." Jack answered, honestly. He kissed her, sliding his hand up her knee, under her skirt.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Race yelled back at them. "Don't be doin' that in my backseat! Don'cha have any decency, Kelly?"

Jack laughed. Nothing could dampen his spirits today. "Higgins, why don't you focus on the drivin' and I'll see to my wife, alright?" Ignoring Racer's protests, he pulled Katherine closer, kissing her deeply.

Later, after they'd changed and boarded the plane, Katherine fell asleep on his shoulder, her left hand wrapped loosely around his arm. He looked down at the band around her finger that matched his and smiled. Pulling a pencil from his pocket, he started a sketch on the napkin in front of him. As a minuscule rendition of Kath in her wedding gown appeared in front of him, Jack hummed softly. 

He didn't sing his mother's song often, the boys outgrowing the need for coddling years ago. The only ones who'd heard it recently were Kath and Crutchie, who both had the occasional panic attack and had long since grown accustomed to hearing it from Jack when they needed it. He'd always associated the song with hurt, the need to soothe. But now, maybe, it could be a happy song.

"You'll never know, dear, how much I love you..."

 

*~*~*~*~* 

 

Jack was twenty-six when he was shot.

They shouldn't have even been there. They had stumbled upon the protest by accident, and, ever the dedicated reporter, Katherine had wanted to hear the stories of the workers protesting their unfair wages and work conditions.

An uneasiness had rippled through the crowd when the police showed up, but they were there for the protestor's safety, they'd been assured.

It started with shouting. Jack saw one of the guys get up in the cop's face, yelling.

"Uh, guys...?" Jack said warningly.

Then the guy decked the cop and all hell broke loose. 

The protesters—peaceful just five seconds ago—rushed the barrier of cops, swarming, shoving. Jack, Crutchie, and Racetrack were swept one way; Dave, Les, and the rest of the guys another. 

Katherine was nowhere to be found.

"Racer!" Jack yelled over the din. "Take Crutchie and find the other boys. I gotta find Kath!"

Both Race and Crutchie started to protest. Jack just shook his head, practically shoved Crutchie into Race. He didn't manhandle the boys often, and never Crutchie, but he needed them to get out  _now_. "Go!" he ordered. Racetrack wrapped his arm around Crutchie's waist before taking off in the other direction. Waiting until both blonde heads disappeared into the crowd, Jack turned to search for an auburn one.

He couldn't see straight, he was shoved from all sides, and he couldn't find his wife. Cupping his hands around his mouth, Jack yelled into the crowd. "Katherine! Kath!"

That's when he heard the gunshots. The sharp  _pop-pop-pop!_  sent a fresh wave of panic through the crowd, and as the jostling of the crowd became more frantic, so did Jack.

"KATHERINE!"

Off to his left, he heard, "Jack!"

As he turned, Jack felt something hit his stomach—a rock or something—but he couldn't focus on anything other than finding Katherine. "Kath!"

And, suddenly, she was there, next to him. Gunshots were still going off around them, people were still screaming and shoving, and his stomach now had this burning feeling in it, but he found her. He'd kiss her, but he'd rather get her to safety first. 

Grabbing her hand, Jack yelled, "This way! C'mon!" before dragging her in the general direction he saw Les and Dave go. His gut was really starting to hurt now, and he didn't want to think about what that meant.  _Get Kath safe. Find the boys. Then worry._

He gripped her hand—probably too tightly, but he _couldn't_ lose her again—in his left, wrapped his right arm around his middle, using his shoulder to barrel through the crowd.

Breaking free at the edge of the crowd, Jack and Katherine slowed minutely, searching for their friends. 

"Where'd they go?" Katherine asked, clinging to his arm.

Jack scanned the streets. "I don't know, Ace." 

They turned a corner, and, just off the main street, there was Crutchie, Dave, Les, and the rest of the boys.

"Oh, thank God!" Dave exclaimed when he saw them. He and Les hugged Katherine, while Crutchie embraced Jack. When Jack pulled away, there was a streak of red across Crutchie's shirt. Jack's eyes widened. "Kid, what happened? You got blood on you."

Crutchie met his eyes with an equally horrified look. "Jack, that's not my blood. It's yours."

Looking down, Jack saw crimson spreading through his shirt. So. It hadn't been a rock, then. "Oh," he said, blinking. Then he fell to his knees.

He must've blacked out for a minute, because when he opened his eyes, his head was in Katherine's lap, and Dave was pressing his hands to the wound in Jack's stomach. Distantly, Jack heard Specs yelling, something about  _ambulance_ and  _now_. There was an edge to his voice Jack had never heard. 

Everything was bright, disjointed. 

Race's hands, shaking around an unlit cigarette. 

A sniffle from Les, who was valiantly holding back tears. 

Crutchie, kneeling next to Dave, looking unsure what to do with his hands. 

Dave, muttering what sounded like a prayer. 

JoJo, Buttons, Elmer, and Specs, fidgeting, watching with concern, their faces blurring together. 

And Katherine...  _Wait, why was she crying?_

"Ace," he blindly groped for her hand. She squeezed his hand tightly. "Katherine, hey, angel, why you cryin'? This—This is nothin'. Did I tell you 'bout the time Spot Conlon beat me up in high school? That— _that_ was somethin' to get upset about."

"Jack, just hold on, please, hold on, okay?" Katherine pleaded. "Specs called the ambulance, it'll be here in a minute, just stay awake, okay? Come on, baby, open your eyes, _please_."

Had he closed them? With immense effort, Jack peeled his eyes open to see he had, in fact, closed his eyes. But opening his eyes hurt, everything was too bright, assaulting his senses. Each breath came out a little slower with a lot more effort. He licked his dry lips and tried to focus on Dave.

"Davey... 'M not sure—sure 'm gonna make it, Davey."

Dave pressed harder on Jack's stomach, shaking his head, his eyes unusually bright. "Hey, no, Jackie. You heard Katherine. The ambulance is coming. Just hold on. For once in your life, _listen_ , and hold on."

Jack shook his head, or at least thought he did. "Need ya ta... take care o' the boys... and Kath for me, 'kay?" Dave didn't say anything. "Promise me, Dave." He tried to sound stern, but his voice only came out just above a whisper.

His friend nodded. "Okay, Jack, I will. Promise."

Jack nodded, too, his eyes drifting shut again.

"Hey, don't do that, Jack," a hand lightly patted his cheek, and Jack opened his eyes again to see Crutchie, looking as worried as Dave.

"Hey, Charlie," Jack hadn't called him that in so long, his friend's birth name laying awkwardly on his tongue. "Don' get inta too much trouble when 'm gone, 'kay?"

Crutchie's laugh sounded forced, weak. "I'm the one who gets us _outta_ trouble, Jackie."

Jack tried to laugh, but it didn't come out right. "Yeah... Tell the other guys..." The words stuck in his throat.

Grabbing the hand that wasn't being held by Katherine, Crutchie nodded, a tear slipping down his cheek. "I'll tell 'em, Jack." 

His head lolled, and he looked up into Katherine's eyes, still shiny with tears. He wanted to tell her so much. How he'd never believed in love at first sight 'til he met her, how he'd been looking forward to growing old with her, watch their children, and their grandchildren, grow up. In the end he settled for what mattered most.

"Kath...rine. Love...you."

She choked on her tears as she bowed her head over him. "I love you, too, Jack." Katherine kissed his forehead. Faintly, he heard her begin to hum.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine..."

His vision was going dark, blurry, around the edges. He weakly held her hand to his lips, and the last thing he heard was Katherine's weak voice, singing softly.

"Please...don't take—my sunshine away..."

 

*~*~*~*~* 

 

Katherine was twenty-six when she gave birth to her daughter. 

It was long, and painful, and she was gripping the wrong hand, and Jack wasn't there, and it  _hurt_ , and she was crying, and she couldn't push anymore...

And then, the nurse placed her daughter in her arms. She was pink in the face, had downy-soft dark hair, and she was the most perfect thing she’d ever seen.

"Hey, baby girl," Katherine whispered, holding her close. She looked up at Dave and Crutchie, tears in her eyes. "Look at her, guys. She's perfect."

Dave squeezed her shoulder, grinning at her. "Yeah, she is, Kath."

Her baby blinked up at them slowly, unfocused. Katherine had read that babies eyes could change in the first few months, and wondered if her baby’s would darken to match her own. She hoped not. She hoped they stayed light like his.

"Didja pick a name yet?" Crutchie asked, leaning forward, bracing his arms on the mattress.

"Yeah," Katherine nodded, cradling her baby's head. "Uncle Dave, Uncle Charlie, meet... Kelly."

Both men suddenly seemed very interested in their shoes, and they cleared their throats, swiping under their eyes. "Well, uhm," Dave coughed. "We should go tell the rest of her uncles that their new favorite niece has arrived."

"They're all here?" Damn hormones, why couldn't she stop crying?

Crutchie stood with Dave. "Yeah, Racer's been waitin' to hand out cigars since last night."

"Nooo, no, no, you tell that chain-smoking punk if he so much as touches a cigarette, he can't be around my baby for a week," Katherine warned, as they headed to the door. She loved the boys, and tolerated Race’s less-than-desireable habit, but there was no way she’d allow it around Kelly.

They nodded quickly, a little fearfully, and slipped out the door, leaving her alone with Kelly.

"Hey, baby." Katherine ran her thumb across the tiny hand gripping her index finger. "Kelly. You look so much like your Daddy. You would've loved him, baby. I loved him so much. You're not—not gonna meet him, honey. But you'll always know him. You're going to get sick of hearing about him from me, and all your uncles. You're gonna be so loved, Kelly," she swore. Her eyes welled up again, at the thought of Jack. He would've loved his daughter. He'd never been sure about how he'd be as a father, having lost his father so young, but she knew he'd be great. And now he'll never get the chance to see just how great he could've been.

Kelly chose that moment to start fussing, her tiny face scrunching up. Katherine held her closer, humming softly. It took her a moment to realize what song she'd chosen, and her tears spilled over again.

"You are my sunshine... my only sunshine... you make me happy, when skies are gray..."

She hadn't sang that song since...

Well.

Yawning, an adorable squeaking noise that melted Katherine's heart, Kelly settled into her chest, asleep. Katherine smiled through her tears. "Just like your Daddy. Gonna give me hell, too, baby? With a name like Kelly, I wouldn't expect anything less." She stroked Kelly's cheek, and continued to sing.

"You'll never know, dear, how much I love you..."

**Author's Note:**

> Turns out, the entirety of "You Are My Sunshine" is actually kinda depressing. So I stuck to the happy part that I learned as a kid, because... Well. There's already enough sad in this piece.
> 
> It's been awhile since I did angst. Wasn't sure I remembered how to do it properly.
> 
> Hopefully, no one checks my search history, because "gunshot wounds to the stomach that kill" and "how does it feel to be shot" probably looks suspicious...
> 
> Also, BLESS the costume department of Newsies, because Katherine's wardrobe is on. point. If I had the time/talent/money, I'd dress like her every day.
> 
> Other than my Christmas fics, I only have one other piece in the works, so I'm not sure when I'll post again. Hopefully, not too long!
> 
> Comments, concerns, and critiques welcome. Peace, love, and sanity!


End file.
